Archos plans PicoWAN smartplug-based LoRa network

(Telecompaper) French mobile device maker Archos has announced plans to form a new subsidiary, PicoWAN, that will launch a Low Power-Wide Area Network (LP-WAN) for the IoT in Europe in June 2016. The company has developed smart plugs, or 'picogateways' connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet using the LoRa standard. Archos said the range of the picogateways is potentially as long as the antennas installed on PicoWAN rooftops by telecom operators. They offer the advantage of low-cost, eas